The original iTube became the ‘go to’ tube buffer for any and every home audio system. We have redesigned the micro iTube2 with new parts and new circuitry using trickle-down technology from the flagship ‘Pro’ series. Only the GE5670 tube remains.

The micro iTube2 is a tubed output stage, tube preamp, tube buffer AND an impedance-matching device all in one. There is nothing like it. You can put the micro iTube2 before a solid-state preamp and another one after it, creating the effect of tubing the whole audio chain. Or you can choose to simply use the micro iTube2 as a very high-quality preamp by itself.

The micro iTube2 sounds by and far, like a tube amplifier ‘done right with the inimitable magic of tubes.‘ Tonality and heft, especially in the mid-range and bass frequencies are increased to elevate the whole audio system from $100k to $1k. The micro iTube2 injects a serious does of tube magic into any audio system.

‘Magic’ of SET, Push-Pull or Classic Tube sound

In the ‘magic of tubes’ listening stakes, the iTube2 offers the listener the choice of different key sonic signatures:

– a Single-Ended Triode power amplifier;

– a Push-Pull tube power amplifier;

– a classic tube amplifier.

Just to note from the iFi team – there is no ‘right’ setting. We advise you to set according to your systems synergy and your listening preferences.

XBass+® matrix for Speakers, new and improved

XBass+® for Speakers is quite different to its sister technology XBass+® for Headphones. The only similarity is in philosophy as the ability to enhance your Speaker listening is quite different to enhancing Headphone listening.

The former gives each and every audio system adjustable levels of bass control to enhance listening enjoyment through speakers that have limited bass extension. We have taken great care to ensure no degradation in sound quality occurs.

20 Hz (6dB):

For speakers missing only the lowest bass notes (below 40Hz).

20 Hz (12dB):

For speakers missing some bass notes (below 80Hz).

OFF:

XBass+ switched out.

3D Holographic+® matrix for Speakers

The latest 3D Holographic+ matrix for Speakers offers something quite special. It takes high-end systems to another level of performance. It was drawn from the original ground-breaking work of Alan Blumlein, the ‘father of stereo.’

Firstly, it corrects the fundamental spatial distortion in recordings. And secondly, it increases the width of the soundstage beyond that of the speaker placement.

30˚+

This matrix adds an extra 30˚ to redress the narrow placement of speakers (eg either side of a PC monitor).

+

This matrix recreates original ‘width’ of the soundstage and is the recommended DEFAULT setting.

Off

3D+ switched out.

Brand-new PCB, Direct-Coupled for purest signal path

The iTube2, in-line with the latest iFi products, is ‘Direct-Coupled.’ This means no output coupling capacitor for the purest, most direct signal path.

Furthermore, the iTube2 is virtually a whole new product as the circuitry and components have been radically changed and it now is more closely connected to the Pro iCAN. Trickle-down from flagship range? A definite “yes!”

Reference class parts quality

The iTube2 employs Japan TDK C0G type capacitors. These are complimented by Japan Panasonic ECPU Film Capacitors explicitly designed for audio use with extremely low distortion (<0.00001% @ 1V/10kHz).

The iTube 2 also uses ELNA SIlmic capacitors. These and other parts are only found in components with an extra ‘0’ to the price.

The proof is in the listening. The best tube buffer/pre-amp out there just pulled even further ahead.

Running silently in the background – iPower 15v

Every iTube2 comes with the very-new iPOWER (15v) which is a remarkable-quiet, advanced DC power supply that features:

Active Noise Cancellation+® drawn from military radar technology

12-Element Output Array/6-Element Input Array

Measured on the Audio Precision 2, the iPower has an astonishingly low audio band noise floor of just 1uV while it has the ability to power the iTube2 to put out a maximum 7.75v which is quite remarkable.

Specifications

Tube:

NOS GE 5670×1

Maximum output:

> 7.75V (>+20dBu)

SNR:

119dB(A) re. 2V, buffer,
0dB Gain

DNR:

31dB(A) re. +20dBu, buffer,
0dB Gain

THD & N:

< 0.009% (re. 2V, buffer, 0dB
Gain, A- weighted)

Frequency Response:

< 10Hz -to > 200kHz (-1dB)
20Hz – 20kHz (+/-0.003dB)

Input impedance:

1M ohm Direct Tube Buffer
100k ohm Pre-Amplifier
with Volume Control

Output stage output impedance:

<1 ohm

Corrected output impedance:

<150 ohm

Input voltage:

AC 100-240V, 50/60Hz

Power consumption:

<4W idle, 10W max

Dimensions:

175(l) x 67 (w) x 28 (h) mm

Weight:

278g (0.61lbs)

User Manual

Tech Note

iTube2 smooths out digital sound for better listening

“Using this as a tube buffer stage and it works great by adding a nice smooth analog sound to digital. I recommend it for anyone who wants ‘tube’ sound on a budget.”

“If I had to choose a word to best describe the overall qualities of the micro iTube2, it would be magic. The power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious forces, a quality being beautiful and delightful in a way that sees remote from daily life, exceptional skill or talent!…if one is serious about their music, the micro iTube2 is a must have and should be your next upgrade!”

Many thanks PhileWeb and iFi Japan (Top Wing Corporation) for an excellent review.

Translated with Google.

iTube 2 Micro: “Raising warmth.”

Few good points of the Micro iTube2:

· Very clear improvement of the sound, even in the case of expensive transistor amplifiers
· Improvement by: Raising warmth, Fuller and deeper sound.
· Interesting look, matched to a series of micro devices.

“Kudos to iFi for designing and building a real solid unit. This is a great addition to a lot of systems that would benefit from such a device and is not really a gimmick more than an critical part of your music chain if it radically improves it. At the price of a decent pair of cables, it would be worth a try in your system if you buy from a place with a decent return policy.”

“Thanks to the various treatments it can bring to the sound, this small device iFi Audio iTube2 could well attract your attention…once again, iFi Audio shows originality and creativity with this enhancer of musicality. iTube2 whose contribution to the sound reproduction seemed to us rather successful in avoiding any caricature sound.”

My experience with iFi Audio started some time ago while searching for USB interface. I came across great reviews of the link USB and decided to give it try.
I am glad I did because it introduced me to world of iFi Audio. iFi brand is sister company of AMR a renown ultra high- end audio brand. AMR created iFi Audio to bring all its technology and philosophy to more affordable market. Now don’t be fooled by word affordable, with iFi audio, its all about quality and performance. Their products having AMR R&D to its disposal and bringing high-end to mere mortals 😉 and I’m very thankful for it.

Since my first introduction to iFi Audio. I have acquired few of their creations namely iDSD micro (silver) , iPurifier1 and 2, iLink USB, iTube. How I come to own iDSD is special to me.

Before my adventure with iFi Audio begun, I inspired my friend Wojtek (Polish audio genius) to slowly build our own brand of tube audio gear. Wojtek was all about tube so our first creation was pure class A tube DAC. Two years in the making, all was going in right direction but unfortunately Wojtek was diagnosed with cancer and passed away within months. I lost a great friend and great audio visionary. I was devastated.
It was then when I heard about crowd design of Micro iDSD and decided to honour Wojtek ideas and suggest to iFi Audio few of Wojtek ideas.
To my surprise I was one of the first to receive brand new iDSD and Octa adapter. I was hooked.

I would like to share with you my latest iFI Audio product iTube 2 which in contrast to previous model is full blown tube preamplifier, buffer, impedance matching device and much much more.

As for iFI Audio standards iTube2 is a high quality unit, aluminium made with nice space grey touch of colour. For all technical specs, have a look at iFi Audio’s website. Worth mentioning that the unit only resemble original iTube in its outside appearance and tube inside, the rest is a whole new beast.

I owned first iTube right after its release and it has been essential to my humble system based on iMac mini with Audirvana plus 2, iDSD, Parasound amplifier custom build speaker based on Tannoy “Dual Concentric” driver . Since than I got couple different DAC which I will mention here. Korg ds 100 and SW1X design NOS tube DAC with zero feedback (classic design).

Original iTube proved to be a welcome addition to both iDSD and Korg DAC allowing volume control with Parasound power amp and bringing smoothness of tube to solid state set up. I was very pleased with the results. 3Dfunction has brought additional bonus to the table.

Addition of SW1X DAC show me what tube has to offering terms of sound. This DAC in the system was fare surpassing any DAC come before him and it should considering price, size and meticulous design.
Even with SW1X DAC in the chain first edition iTube show that it belongs in the system but let’s get back to ITube2.

Have to mention first edition of iTube so that it will be easier to see how different those units are. Put it this way first edition iTube was transparent and served well as Preamp (you will have go well north of $1000 to get better).

iTube2 is whole another story as iFi Audio mention it is close to its Pro cousin and it definitely shows.
After unit arrived I left it to burn in using various tracks from Purist Audio design.

After few days of burn in process when I sat down to listen I was in for a big surprise. iTube2 might be small in size but there is nothing small about its sound. In connection with iDSD sound it produced reminded me of my full blown tube DAC and this is no small achievement. I was taken aback how lush and full the sound was, depth of soundstage was much greater as well as height. It does not take anything from iDSD alone but that combination was astonishingly good. I removed few times iTube2 from a chain just to verify and undoubtedly iTube2 brought tremendous positive effect on sound, you swear you are listening to a tube amplifier and good one too. iDSD performance was enriched by sense of space around instruments and on very good recordings you could hear venue in which recording was done. Little details and nuances of music suddenly were very evident and delivered with big spoon 😉 Everything was presented with better structure and scale. What I got here is whole new experience and new life for iDSD as well as my other DACS.

Before we move on, I have to tell you that at the beginning of review I used Mac mini but since I discovered some trouble with OSX SIERRA namely I was not able to use up- sampling and DSD conversion doing so degraded sound quite a bit. I exchange emails with Audirvana but was unable to solve the problem. I decided to use my Mac Air instead with OSX EL CAPTAIN. EL CAPTAIN worked flawlessly and in process discover that sound is much better than Mac Mini maybe due to Mac Air being powered by battery, well it sounds better. All digital analog converters show signs of improvement no question here.

With Korg DS 100 which I found more hum forward (not bright, just bit more in your face. Hahahahaha) iTube2 brought smoothness and added body to the sound. Pushed Korg to a new level.

Now with SW1X for a lot of people would be contra intuitive to use Itube2 with already hi-end DAC with full class A tube output stage with zero negative feedback but you would be wrong. Don’t assume anything in audio just listen for yourself, listen with ears open and eyes closed.
What I got here is something special iTube2 was very transparent. It did not hold back SW1X DAC already beautiful sound but added few extra ingredients. Just to note that all comments about extra features of iTtube2 apply to all DACS.

Three flavours of tube: single ended triode (S.E.T) , classical tube amp, push-pull amplifier prove to be great addition to music presentation. Please think of it as different flavourings depend on type of music you listen. Great thing here that iFi Audio did not use phoney dsp. It is all done in analog stage (ASP) of a highest grade. Put it this way for me S.E.T setting goes well with relaxing jazz providing smooth euphoric presentation while PUSH-PULL setting will go well in music with lots of drums providing bit more kick to a flavour. Classic tube setting is to my ears some what in between. There is no right or wrong here just experiment for yourselves.
Love new XBass settings which are much more dialled in. My speakers benefited quite a bit from 6db setting giving great support to frequencies below 40hz with out any loss to bass quality and clarity. Well done!!!!!

Same goes for new 3D enchantment much easier to pick up what is happening I would compare it to focus on a hi res camera lens … puts everything in sharper more define view. One thing to remember of all this will depend not only on quality of elements of your system but also room your system is in. I experimented in two different locations and definitely see that room can effect sound in total (elements of a system like speaker wires or interconnect can make or break your system and room itself can act as filter so try to do your best to address as much as you can and experiment).

I am really impressed with iTube2 almost wish it had his own designation because it is a whole new product not merely upgrade from original.
It is fantastic new Hi End preamplifier with great features and no gimmicks. Design team at iFi Audio love and understand music and have to its disposal ultra hi end audio gear from AMR to get its inspiration and to test its products. A lot of heart goes in the design I believe.

Is iTube2 perfect? Of course no such a thing in audio. iFi Audio does not pretend what it is. Is key to high end world. It opens a main gate and believe me when those gates are open, beautiful music is pouring in.

Thank you iFi Audio for letting us in 😉
Oh, one more thing to be very careful, iFi Audio is like HEROIN. Highly addictive you might find yourself wanting more! Hahahahahaha

Until next time, Enjoy The Music.

TOM

ps
I would like to thank customer service here in China as well as the UK for stellar service. You should teach other companies how to run a business.

Thank you

“….the iTube2 will have to be pried out of my cold, dead hands before you will get it out of my system.” An iFi iTube2 review by Tyson on Audiocircle.

“…I absolutely freaking love the iTube2…you should try out the iTube2….the iTube2 will help out with the vast majority of systems…the closer you can use tube equipment to your source, the more impact it has….It connects with regular old analog RCA connectors. The iTube2 adds the tonal richness…. You keep the goodness of your existing equipment while fixing the core problem that modern recordings represent….Putting the iTube2 into your system gets you 95% of the improvement possible. Using the switches lets you dial in that last 5%….The iTube2 loses no resolution and still gives you the magic of tubes…It makes your system more true to real life.”

“Tube goodness just got better.” A review of the iTube2 by ostewart on Head-Fi.

“Pros: Flexibility, sound quality, form factor.”

“Firstly I would like to thank iFi for this sample to review…this unit has had over 50hrs of burn-in, no real differences were noted…They waste no space with the packaging, it is neat, looks good ad I really like it…Built quality is the same as the rest of the micro range, it is slim aluminium housed device, all precisely put together with excellent finish…This little device is packed full of great little features…For the most part, this is a valve buffer/pre-amp that adds a little tube magic in to the sound of your system….you have the Xbass switch, this is really good for smaller desktop speakers…the 3D Holographic has completely changed my desktop listening experience….The Xbass really helped fill out the low end without any added bloat. it is very precise and well controlled…iFi Audio has taken the original iTube, which was and still is an awesome device, and managed to squeeze even more out of it without making it bigger, the great thing about this is that it fits in to any system and you can let it have very little influence over the sound….it has make a big audible difference to my desktop setup…”

“iFi Micro iTube2 – The magic of the tube for any audio system?” A review by Michael Holzinger (mh) on Sempre Audio.

“The iFi Audio, the new iFi Micro iTube2, which can take over the function of a tube output stage, a tube precursor, a tube driver and an impedance converter, and its direct predecessor, promises to be an unrivalled solution on the market, the iFi Tube has been significantly improved…To bring the magic of the tube into any audio system…Flexibility is the top priority for the new iFi Micro iTube2. This should bring ‘tube sound’ to any audio system, be it as a tube output stage, as a tube preamp, tune drivers and impedance converters. The compact housing, as well as the flexible adaptation of the parameters, should support this flexibility…The magic of a tube in any audio system, this is the task according to the manufacturer iFi Audio is the new iFi Micro iTube2….This is presented as a completely revised new generation, using new improved components and a newly developed circuit. The basis for this was the so-called ‘trickle-down’ technology…the new iFi Micro iTube2 will be able to function as a tube output stage, tube precursor, tube driver and as an impedance converter…The iFi Micro iTube2 defacto is unrivalled in the market, as there is simply no other solution that can be used so flexibly…”

“we love the dynamic sound…The offer is enormous, the rolling tube is sometimes expensive but when you find the source or the amp that goes well, then it is really special….iFi Audio proposes original solutions…there is one for everyone. I took a lot of fun to set up my iFi set….I was really among the very first in the world to listen to this iTube2. It is a small device, a small buffer with big sound but still the exclusivity and the primeur is always fun….the iTube concept is primarily thought for open listening on loudspeakers…I was really charmed by this iTube2!…the iTube2 blows a much better level of ‘tube’ rendering…another product well built, easy to implement, affordable and performing that will do what it is designed to give…”
Thank you Darktores for your review.